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WISE Council still debating funds split

By Mike Hastenmhasten@gannett.com
9 p.m. CDT August 25, 2014

University of Louisiana System President Sandra Woodley said the method of dividing WISE funds has to take into consideration that it costs more to train a student for a four-year degree than a degree or certificate that takes one or two years.
(Photo:
Dacia Idom/LAGNS
)

BATON ROUGE – Members of a panel appointed to oversee the use of and split of $40 million for colleges and universities to address workforce needs say they could reach an agreement by next month.

The Workforce and Innovation for a Stronger Economy Council, a panel of higher education, workforce development and economic development officials named to administer the program and how to divide the money and construction projects, set a mid-September schedule for making a decision. Monday’s meeting was the second discussion from which no conclusion was reached.

At issue is whether the funds, recognized as far short of what is needed, should be spent on short-term job needs or long-term needs.

With many construction projects expected for industrial development pledged in the next few years, construction jobs that would best be filled by community and technical colleges move to the top. But many of the industries need engineers and other highly skilled workers that require four- and five-year degrees from universities and additional professors need to be hired to address those needs.

Monty Sullivan, president of the Louisiana Community and Technical College System, argues for the short-term needs since the WISE Fund is one-year funding, although lawmakers have indicated they want to keep renewing it. He said the method of splitting the money “has been a concern for us from the beginning.”

“We’re all taking on risks,” he said. “Hiring faculty for one year does no good.” Higher education institutions need to look at all of their funding sources as a unified base because “the WISE Fund is just one source.”

University of Louisiana System President Sandra Woodley said the method of dividing funds has to take into consideration that it costs more to train a student for a four-year degree than a degree or certificate that takes one or two years.

LSU Chancellor and President F. King Alexander said medical and technical degrees like engineering have a higher cost factor and that factor should be a part of the distribution plan.

After Sullivan raised objections, Alexander said, “We’ve all conceded things we don’t agree with. We were doing so well.”

Curt Eysink, director of the Louisiana Workforce Commission, argued that the money should go more for immediate job needs.

“Which system gets the money is less important to me than if we get production,” he said.

Southern University System President Ron Mason said one of the issues relates to “the difference between finding one program for four years or four programs for one year.”

In four scenarios presented to the group, the Southern University System gets $2 million, the minimum established that any university system would receive.

Other funds are to be distributed according to systems’ abilities to produce graduates to fill high-demand, high-paying jobs regarded by the Workforce Commission as four-and-five-star jobs.

Board of Regents Chairman William Clinton “Bubba” Rasberry, who also chairs the WISE Council, said a work group made up of the higher education systems’ and the state agencies’ staffs will meet several times before next month’s meeting to work out an agreement. He said that doesn’t mean the council is “passing off to another group” because each council member will be apprised of the developments.

“This is complex,” Rasberry said. “This is changing the paradigm of how higher education moves ahead in the future.”